Chapter 1278: Chapter 1114: Too Late

"Dundun! Have you been feeling better these past days?" The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor lying on the dragon bed, her face full of affection.

"Much better already. Today, I even asked Pang Chu to bring the memorials for me to review. It’s been several days since I attended court, and if I don’t appear soon, I fear those courtiers will start to suspect again."

The Emperor sighed; although the poison was temporarily suppressed, he clearly felt his body was much weaker than before, his energy nowhere near as vigorous as before.

"Those vile servants have already been taken care of. Too much time has passed, making it not easy to investigate this poisoning. However, the person responsible must be caught; otherwise, if they can harm you once, they can harm you a second time."

Talking about this made the Empress Dowager grit her teeth with hatred. According to her, she would find some reason to remove those bothersome elements one by one, to save herself from being constantly on edge and having to guard against this and that.

Historically, when a new Emperor ascends the throne, it’s time for reckoning.

"Dundun, your mother knows you are kind-hearted. But you must remember, some people won’t appreciate it no matter how kind you are to them. As soon as they find an opportunity, they’ll pounce and bite you."

The Empress Dowager patted the Emperor’s hand, full of worry as she gazed into his eyes, then continued persuading, "Dundun! It’s time. You shouldn’t keep them any longer."

The Emperor raised his eyes towards the Empress Dowager, "Mother, haven’t you seen it yet? It’s too late, it’s already too late!"

Then the Emperor leaned his head against the pillow, his eyes slightly closed; he too regretted his decisions deeply. What was reputation worth? Why had he cared so much about it before?

If at that time when Father asked for his opinion on how to handle the third brother, he hadn’t worried about reputation and let the third brother disappear from this world, he wouldn’t be so passive now.

If he hadn’t spared the other brothers earlier, by eliminating them one by one, how could he be threatened by "Ruo Yin" now?

"How can it be too late? As long as you’re ruthless, could they really escape from your grasp? You’re the Emperor, the ruler of the world; who in this world could be more noble than you? Dundun, your mother believes in you!"

The Empress Dowager heartachingly stroked the Emperor’s black hair; her Dundun was the legitimate son, naturally should have been the best candidate for Crown Prince. But who could say she wasn’t liked by the late Emperor, thereby implicating Dundun.

"Mother, now their wings have been fully fledged; it won’t be easy to deal with them. Perhaps if we force them, they might react like Zhao Xian, completely tearing faces with me. At that time, if they all target me, how should I handle it? This matter can’t be rushed; it must be approached step by step."

The Emperor sighed; at that moment he only felt extremely fatigued.

"But the current situation doesn’t allow you to proceed step by step, Dundun! Zhao Xian has already started capturing the cities at the border. If we don’t act, and Zhao Xian continues, what can we do to restrain him?"

The Empress Dowager grasped the Emperor’s hand anxiously; Zhao Xian is a major threat, and if Zhao Xian isn’t eliminated while he hasn’t fully grown, there might indeed be no time left.

"That’s why my Holy Decree is to deal with Zhao Xian. Looking at the court now, besides those ambitious ones, perhaps only he can handle Zhao Xian, right? Mother, I hope you can put aside your prejudice against him because right now we can only rely on him. I trust no one else; he is the only one I can depend on."

The Emperor gazed at the Empress Dowager with pleading eyes; he didn’t want her prejudice against Gu Chengyu to push Gu Chengyu further away.

These few days, with his unwell body, confined to bed, he finally had the time to properly think about future plans.

Reflecting on his previous demeanor towards Gu Chengyu, he suddenly realized Gu Chengyu’s attitude towards him seemed somewhat unclear. Back when Father was alive, based on Gu Chengyu’s actions now, his attitude wasn’t as proactive as before.

During that time, Father supported Gu Chengyu, intending to counterbalance Xia Qing. But Father never doubted Gu Chengyu’s abilities and granted him absolute trust following assignments.

This made him realize he falls short compared to Father in terms of managing talents.

Gu Chengyu seems distant due to mistrust. Perhaps previously he often listened to malicious words of others in the court, leading to a rift between him and Gu Chengyu.

Thinking back now, he broke into a cold sweat, realizing how neglectful he had been towards Gu Chengyu before. But he knew the Fourth and others absolutely valued Gu Chengyu. If they privately recruited Gu Chengyu, and Gu Chengyu allied with them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a while before saying, "Dundun, Gu Chengyu indeed is a capable person. But I see he is young yet scheming, truly not easy to control. How do you know he wouldn’t betray you? I see through his appearance of calm and righteous, his heart greatly values power."

Her impression of Gu Chengyu was indeed not good; she always felt this young man was too calculating and worried Dundun couldn’t handle him.

"Mother, do we have other choices now? Considering the court, who else can compare to him? He is a man of sentiment, as long as you treat him sincerely, he won’t betray you. Although he may not be a Defender focused solely on righteousness, he definitely is loyal to those he cares about, willing to sacrifice himself. He chose me initially, so long as I am not excessive, he won’t easily change his original intentions."

These conclusions came after much contemplation over these days.

"Dundun! Mother knows it’s hard for you, if only your father..." The Empress Dowager dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief; she was merely heartbroken for her Dundun.

"Mother, you often say Father was a decisive person by nature, while I, like you, am soft-hearted, often indecisive. But I believe Father and I actually share many similar traits. Was Father not indecisive? Had he not been, giving hope to us Princes, how could the court be in its current state?"

Saying this, the Emperor felt a bit resentful. The late Emperor had passed, leaving a massive mess behind.

"Your father did so because he couldn’t forget that vile woman?" The mention of the late Emperor agitated the Empress Dowager.

"You think why he delayed choosing a Crown Prince? Isn’t it because the child of that vile woman is poisoned in the womb? He waited for so many years, just hoping the Fourth would recover. But it’s a pity the Fourth’s own health couldn’t hold up; your father fantasized in vain. How many rare medicines and precious treasures did he send to the Fourth over these years?"

The Emperor stared at the Empress Dowager’s ferocious expression, suddenly at a loss for words.

Clearly, Mother still harbors resentment over past events; perhaps that woman has always been a wound in Mother’s heart, a wound that bleeds at the slightest touch, one that will never heal.

He had met that woman when he was young; although now her appearance was vague, he still remembered she was a gentle and beautiful lady.

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